When female sparrows go astray
|Published
Male sparrows can tell when their female mate is cheating on them, scientists claim. Male sparrows can tell when their female mate is cheating on them, scientists claim.
London - Male sparrows can tell when their female mate is cheating on them, scientists claim.
The birds are normally monogamous but, just as with humans, females can sometimes be tempted to mate with “fitter” males – in order to have stronger offspring.
Experts at Imperial College London found that a male sparrow’ssuspicions were aroused if the female bird was making long trips outside of the nest during her fertile period.
He would then provide less food to the family brood – which perhaps is unsurprising as he may not be the father to all the chicks.
The researchers were able to determine which females were the most unfaithful by tracking 200 male and 194 female sparrows on the island of Lundy, in the Bristol Channel, over 12 years.
The research, published in journal The American Naturalist, is as a result of recording the DNA profile of every bird and the family history of their hatchlings.
Daily Mail